Trapping carbon dioxide doesn’t always mean a factory chimney. Sometimes it means crushed rock on a farm field.
🏛️ Must Know
All Three Are Genuine Carbon Capture Methods
- Basalt on Farmland Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmland, called enhanced weathering, genuinely captures atmospheric carbon dioxide.
- Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Increasing ocean alkalinity by adding lime is also a genuine, actively discussed carbon capture and sequestration approach.
- Mineral Storage in Old Mines Capturing industrial carbon dioxide and pumping it into abandoned mines as carbonated water is genuine too. It counts as a direct carbon capture and storage method.
Good to Know
📘 Good to Know
How Each Method Actually Traps Carbon
- Basalt Forms Stable Carbonates Crushed basalt reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide over time. This forms stable carbonate minerals that lock the carbon away.
- Alkaline Oceans Absorb More CO2 Adding lime raises ocean alkalinity, which enhances the ocean’s natural capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
- Carbonated Water Injection Injecting carbon dioxide as carbonated water into old mines lets it mineralise underground, storing it permanently.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2023 — How Many of These Three Are Genuine CCS Methods
- UPSC 2023 All three activities, basalt spreading, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and carbonated-water mine injection, are genuinely discussed as carbon capture and sequestration methods. See UPSC CSP 2023 GS Paper I, Q68. View this question.
Test Yourself
Great to Know
🌟 Great to Know
Why These “Unusual-Sounding” Methods Are Real Research Areas
- Both Nature-Based and Engineered Enhanced weathering and ocean alkalinity enhancement are nature-based; mine injection is a more engineered, industrial approach.
- Scaling Remains a Challenge All three methods are real and actively studied. But scaling them up cheaply enough for global climate impact remains an open research problem.
- Connects to Other PYQ Facts This same carbon-sequestration theme also underlies UPSC questions on India’s own carbon sequestration sites.
For more on carbon storage in India, see EnvEco0126 — Carbon Sequestration Sites.
Beyond the answer
Browse all environment-and-ecology topics →
📚 Keep reading
UPSC CSP 2023 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2021 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2025 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2020 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)Blue Carbon: How Coastal Ecosystems Store More Carbon Than Forests❓ Practice this topic
D0306 — Consider the following statements: 1. NCAP is a statutory programme backed by a dedicated law. 2. City action plans under NCAP are tracked on the PRANA portal. 3. The Graded Response Action Plan stages emergency measures for Delhi-NCR by AQI level. How many of the statements are correct?D0305 — Which statement best describes a 'non-attainment city' under NCAP?D0304 — What was the original target set by NCAP for reducing PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024?D0303 — Which ministry anchors the National Clean Air Programme?🎲 Take a Environment And Ecology Quiz
Leave a Reply